Pages

Korean-style Poached Eggs

These very simple and quick little eggs are elegant on the plate and taste just as wonderful. They would make a marvelous light lunch with a small green salad, but I must admit that I had them for breakfast the other day with toast and an orange.

This recipe is taken almost straight from my dependable copy of Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian but with the substitution of a little toasted sesame oil for added flavor (if you don't have toasted sesame oil, please do get some and give it a try). I can't ordinarily be bothered with poached eggs as it seems such a trial to make perfect ones, but this recipe pleasantly included an easy fail-safe method for poaching eggs that, even if they look rather a bit more like fried eggs than picture-perfect poached ones, hold together and are just as good in every way.

Place the sliced green onions in a bowl of ice water and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before making the poached eggs. Drain and place on a clean dish towel. Bring the ends of the cloth together and twist to wring out the extra moisture. This method gives the green onions a nice crunch.

Put 3/4-inch of water to a low simmer over medium heat in a 9- or 10-inch no-stick frying pan. Crack the eggs into small glasses or bowls. Slide the eggs into the pan when the water is at a simmer so that the eggs sit side by side. Simmer gently until the whites are just set. Turn off the heat and cover loosely with a lid. Allow the eggs to continue cooking until the yolks are set to your liking. Separate the eggs and remove from the pan onto a plate with a slotted spatula.

Meanwhile, whisk together the tamari sauce, sesame oil, toasted sesame oil and sugar. Remember to mix well again just before serving.

Arrange the poached eggs on plates and sprinkle with some of the sauce. Scatter green onions over top and serve.

13 comments:

You're right, that is a good method for poaching eggs. Do loves eggs of any sort, and is especially keen to try more Korean cooking, so I may spring this on him one of these morning. Poaching eggs was one of the first things that I learned to do as a kid, but my Mom hates eggs so I stopped making them and forgot how!

World Vegetarian is one of the best cookbooks out there; I'd recommend it to pretty much everyone vegetarian or not. The recipes reliably work. This is exactly the way I make poached eggs, although I often set the on paper towels to soak up some of the water before putting them on the plate. Great pictures!

I have that book. Have cooked from it loads. My copy is beaten up and covered in various food stains. But I've never noticed this recipe. What a lovely idea.

I learnt to poach eggs about two years ago from instructions on Orangette. Since then I just can't help adding them to meals. Sitting on top of soups, stews, salads - anywhere I just want to boost up the protein quota a little.

Based in London, Ontario, a veteran vegetarian for 22 years serves up a collection of delicious culinary creations from her kitchen, with an emphasis on spicy Indian dishes and whole foods. If you want to know what sensible vegetarians eat, Lisa's Kitchen is the place to be.